The title of the opening session is “The Friday sermon and its importance in implementing moderation and intellectual security.”

“We are bringing in the most senior scholars in Saudi Arabia to give this training,” Ahmad Fouad of the Ministry of Islamic Affairs told The Media Line. “Twenty lectures will be delivered in and around Riyadh.”…

Prof. Gared Nonneman, an expert on Saudi affairs at the Center for Gulf Studies in the University of Exeter, said that the Saudis have been successful in reducing the level of extremism in the kingdom through a variety of programs initiated by King Abdullah.

“This program fits into a larger pattern in Saudi Arabia,” he told The Media Line. “From 2004-2005 the Saudis have launched a very effective campaign against extremism.”